Jennifer+Suddeth


 * SUMMARY: Jennifer Suddeth, age 17, bled to death on June 30, 1982 after an abortion performed in Los Angeles, CA by Frank Robinson Sr.**

Seventeen-year-old Jennifer Ellen Suddeth underwent a safe and legal abortion performed by Dr. Franklin Henry "Frank" Robinson Sr. on June 30, 1982.

On the drive home to Cerritos, Jennifer bled heavily, alarming her boyfriend, John Fredzess. Fredzess called the clinic repeatedly over the four hours after their return home, but staff would not put the call through to Robinson. One nurse admonished Fredzess to "be realistic" about how severely Jennifer was [|bleeding]. By that time, Jennifer had bled through two pairs of sweat pants, two blankets, and a towel. At last the hysterical young man was able to contact Robinson, who insisted that the bleeding was normal and instructed Fredzess to stop calling.

When Jennifer went into convulsions, Fredzess called an ambulance. Paramedics arrived at the home to find Jennifer already dead. Police interviewed the weeping and hysterical Fredzess, then pressed charges against Robinson for involuntary manslaughter in Jennifer's death. Although Robinson beat the rap, the state of California nevertheless counted Jennifer's death as due to illegal abortion.

Robinson, who claimed that he had actually "practically pleaded" with Fredzess to call an ambulance, has since retired and moved to Tennessee.

Sources:
 * LA County Coroner Report No. 82-8251;
 * //Press-Telegram// 6/28/83
 * "Abortion Doctor Pleads Innocent in Teen Death," //Dallas Morning News//, Feb. 10, 1983
 * "A doctor accused of performing an abortion," //UPI NewsTrack//, Aug. 23, 1982
 * "Abortion doc held in teen death," //Boston Herald//, Aug. 24, 1982
 * "Physician acquitted in abortion patient death," //San Bernardino County Sun//, Jul. 14, 1983







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